Streaming Media

If you've cranked up Philly's WXPN from your desktop in Boise, Idaho, or viewed a Senate hearing on C-Span.org, you've used streaming media. And you're not the only one. Nearly 35 million home Web users saw or listened to some broadcast via their browsers in November 2000, and that number promises to keep growing. Now it's getting easier to leverage the same tools radio and TV stations are using to get streaming media to your site's visitors.

All you need is a little creativity to come up with ways to extend your site's reach. Internally, think training, corporate communications (what better way for your CEO to announce doubled profits to staff around the world?) and new security applications. Externally, imagine showing customers how to put that piece of equipment together or broadcasting an important message to investors.

You'll have plenty of decisions to make. In-house development or outsourced production house? Apple Computer, Microsoft or RealNetworks? Unicast or multicast?

If you've decided to try streaming media in-house, you'll need to find the best tools for creating and distributing your media masterpieces. We tested the three most popular streaming platforms -- those from Apple, Microsoft and RealNetworks. The last charges a pretty penny for its server and encoder but gives you almost limitless possibilities and high-quality output. Microsoft's big advantage, of course, is that its offering is free. If you prefer to test the waters before you dive in, this package will give you a reasonable feature set. And Apple's QuickTime platform will suit Mac shops, though it didn't perform as well in our tests as RealNetworks' and Microsoft's products did.

Once you have the tools, you'll have to decide whether to disseminate your streaming content via unicast or multicast. Our tutorial on multicasting explains the workings of the routing protocols behind the curtain. Learn how this one-to-many streaming technology saves bandwidth and expense, and how you can use it to broadcast to thousands of viewers and listeners at a time.

Finally, if you're looking for a higher level of quality or simply don't have the in-house expertise, you may want to consider a service provider. There are dozens to choose from; we've selected a handful to show you the range of services and prices available. From tiny Ric Murray Studios to international outfits like Globix, there's something for everyone.